Faculty

Jessica Spissinger

LICSW, PA-C, CAQ Psychiatry
Assistant Professor
MGB University of Health Professions

Jessica Spissinger retains credentials as a LICSW, PA-C, with a certificate of additional qualification (CAQ) in Psychiatry. She is currently Faculty Instructor at the MGH IHP PA Program and continues to practice clinically in an outpatient psychiatric practice.

2026 Sessions

Motivational Interviewing in Practice: What to Say and How to Say It

Effective communication can significantly influence treatment adherence, behavior change, and patient engagement. This highly practical workshop introduces core motivational interviewing techniques that clinicians can immediately apply in psychiatric practice. Through demonstrations, case examples, and structured discussion, attendees will learn specific language strategies for navigating ambivalence, addressing resistance, and supporting meaningful change. Emphasis will be placed on practical skills that can be incorporated into routine clinical encounters across a variety of patient populations.

Speaker

Saturday, December 05 2:40–3:40 PM
Room Grand Cypress ABC
Faculty

Timothy McCreary

DMSc, PA-C, CAQ-PSY
Director of Psychiatry Track, Doctor of Medical Science Program
Rocky Mountain University

For those who do not know Dr. McCreary he is informed by 20 years of practice serving underserved and vulnerable populations in under-resourced areas of the country. After 10 years in outpatient family medicine, he has decided to dedicate the balance of his career to improving the mental health of his patients and making high-quality mental healthcare more accessible by teaching and mentoring other healthcare professionals as they seek to become better mental healthcare providers and/or mental health experts. He is a full-time clinician (providing both primary care and psychiatric care) on an Indian reservation in Utah and is the Director of the Psychiatry Track at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Doctor of Medical Science program. His professional journey has included opportunities to associate with and serve thousands of inspiring clinicians all across the country- he is the immediate past president of the Association of PAs in Psychiatry, and past president of the PHSAPA and Utah Academy of Physician Associates. He is a frequent speaker/educator at national and state medical education conferences. He is humbled and honored for this opportunity to share this time with you, interacting and connecting with you: learning from and with you.

Faculty

Jessica Spissinger

LICSW, PA-C, CAQ Psychiatry
Assistant Professor
MGB University of Health Professions

Jessica Spissinger retains credentials as a LICSW, PA-C, with a certificate of additional qualification (CAQ) in Psychiatry. She is currently Faculty Instructor at the MGH IHP PA Program and continues to practice clinically in an outpatient psychiatric practice.

Emotionally Focused Therapy: Practical Applications for Psych PAs

Emotional distress rarely exists in isolation, and patients’ symptoms are often intertwined with attachment needs, relationship patterns, and recurring emotional cycles. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), developed by Sue Johnson and colleagues, provides an attachment-based framework for understanding these patterns and fostering more secure emotional connections. This presentation introduces PAs to core EFT principles and explores practical applications for patients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship distress, and other emotional concerns. Through clinical examples, participants will learn to recognize negative interactional cycles, identify underlying emotions and attachment needs, and use EFT-informed strategies to promote safety, connection, and meaningful change.

Speaker

Sunday, December 06 10:00–11:00 AM
Room Grand Cypress GHI
Faculty

Timothy McCreary

DMSc, PA-C, CAQ-PSY
Director of Psychiatry Track, Doctor of Medical Science Program
Rocky Mountain University

For those who do not know Dr. McCreary he is informed by 20 years of practice serving underserved and vulnerable populations in under-resourced areas of the country. After 10 years in outpatient family medicine, he has decided to dedicate the balance of his career to improving the mental health of his patients and making high-quality mental healthcare more accessible by teaching and mentoring other healthcare professionals as they seek to become better mental healthcare providers and/or mental health experts. He is a full-time clinician (providing both primary care and psychiatric care) on an Indian reservation in Utah and is the Director of the Psychiatry Track at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, Doctor of Medical Science program. His professional journey has included opportunities to associate with and serve thousands of inspiring clinicians all across the country- he is the immediate past president of the Association of PAs in Psychiatry, and past president of the PHSAPA and Utah Academy of Physician Associates. He is a frequent speaker/educator at national and state medical education conferences. He is humbled and honored for this opportunity to share this time with you, interacting and connecting with you: learning from and with you.

Faculty

Jessica Spissinger

LICSW, PA-C, CAQ Psychiatry
Assistant Professor
MGB University of Health Professions

Jessica Spissinger retains credentials as a LICSW, PA-C, with a certificate of additional qualification (CAQ) in Psychiatry. She is currently Faculty Instructor at the MGH IHP PA Program and continues to practice clinically in an outpatient psychiatric practice.

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